Making Connections

Read This Article

The debate about the best teaching practices for English language learners is ongoing. Should ELL students be immersed entirely in English, or is there room for maintaining and building on the student's own language? Read this article and compare what you read with what you observed in Ms. Duran-Contreras's classroom.

Watch These Videos

View "Building Oral Language," another video in the Teaching Reading library, and think about the different approaches to teaching English language learners. In the "Building Oral Language" video, how does Cindy Wilson value and validate her kindergarten students' language through use of children's literature and support from her bilingual aide? How is her instruction different from or similar to Ms. Duran-Contreras's second-grade instruction?

View "Writer's Journal" and "Promoting Readers as Leaders," and compare the methods for fostering a strong sense of community used by Ms. Duran-Contreras and the teachers in these videos. What has been done to create a community? What might you try?

Take It Back to the Classroom

Identify one element or strategy from Ms. Duran-Contreras's lesson that you would like to try in your classroom. List any supports or resources you would need to implement it. Use the Classroom Strategy Planner (PDF). If you are participating in a study group, share what happened when you tried out the new strategy. Or keep a reflective journal of your experience, focusing on the benefits for you and for your students.